Bangladesh: missionary warns factory collapse has caused massive social tension

Xaverians in Bangladesh

The collapse of the factory building in Dhaka has exposed massive injustice in Bangladesh and created dangerous feelings of discontent among the people - that's the view of a Xaverian missionary who has worked in the country for 40 years.

About 3,000 workers were buried in the rubble when the building came crashing down. Around 2,430 people have been found; 381 bodies were recovered; the rest are missing. Now heavy demolition equipment has begun work on the site and the hope of finding new survivors has been abandoned.

Fr Silvano Garello told Fides: "The story of the collapse of the factory on the outskirts of Dhaka has shocked the nation and has aggregated all the elements of discontent in society.... There are situations and underlying tensions that can erupt at any moment and which affect the political sphere, religion, work."

Fr Garello said: "Those who work in the textile industry are protesting over the lack of safety and very low pay. In many places there is no respect for the dignity of work, or of life itself. The workers are treated like slaves."

Western companies - who commission work to local factories - in past spoke about excluding companies that employed child labour, but Fr Garello said they have turned a blind eye to what is happening.

Meanwhile, he said that political parties cannot find any form of agreement for new elections, which should be later this year. People do not trust the government, there is no dialogue.

He warned of the growth of "fundamentalist Islamic groups that promote laws which are typically Muslim, such as the law of blasphemy, based on the Pakistani model."

So far, he said Bangladesh has been an example of moderate Islam, but, "we do not know in the future".

In recent weeks, he said, there have been attacks on Hindu temples and Buddhist communities, which have alarmed religious minorities, including Christians.

"As Catholic missionaries, we peacefully promote Christian values of dialogue, fraternity, love of neighbour, with testimony and social work. "

Source: Fides

For more information on the Xaverians in Bangladesh see: www.xaviermissionaries.org/M_Life/WorldPlaces/Asia/Bang_Main.htm